Finch says he's closing Phoenix Racing

Team will not enter another race after Indy race in July

Members of the Spartanburg, S.C.-based Phoenix Racing team push the car out of the garage after inspection prior to the 2011 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

DEAN HENSLEY/ TIMES-NEWS

By JASON SHOOTHalifax Media Group

Published: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 8:35 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 8:35 p.m.

LYNN HAVEN, Fla. — Unable to find a long-term sponsor for his Sprint Cup team, James Finch is eyeballing an exit from racing all together.

"I'm contemplating finishing up this year, and I don't know if I want a sponsor," Finch, owner of Spartanburg, S.C.-based Phoenix Racing, said Monday. "Sunday was my 776th start in NASCAR between the Nationwide and Sprint Cup. That's a lot of weekends. I'm considering pulling the plug later in the summer."

Finch, 62, said Phoenix Racing will not enter any races after the Brickyard 400 scheduled for July 28 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He said he intends to wrap up team operations before the Chase for the Cup begins in September.

"I have not been able to get the right amount of funding, the economy is pretty bad, and a lot of people don't want to do it," Finch said of his team's fruitless search for a permanent sponsor. "I'm getting kind of burned out. I think it is time for me to do something else."

Finch's decision comes in the midst of one of his most successful seasons as an owner. Finch is tied for 13th in NASCAR's owner points standings with 276 points, just a handful of points outside the Top 10. Phoenix Racing enjoyed a fourth-place finish with Kurt Busch behind the wheel for the Nationwide race at Talladega this past weekend, and Regan Smith steered the team's No. 51 car to a sixth-place finish in Sunday's Aaron's 499.

The team's success, which includes a pair of top-10 finishes and five top-15 results, did not appear to help it find a full-time sponsor, however. The team has found sponsors for individual or small blocks of races, but the lack of a permanent sponsor has forced Finch to cover his team's considerable costs on his own.

That business model simply is not sustainable against deep-pocketed teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and others.

"I don't want to lose everything I've got trying to outrun people," Finch said. "I can't do that. It's time to do something else and go from there. I've still got some cars I haven't torn up. And I don't want to build any new ones."

Finch's immersion into NASCAR as an owner began with one race in the Busch Grand National Series in 1989. His team competed in four Winston Cup and four Busch Grand National races in 1990. Phoenix Racing focused solely on Busch races from 1997 to 2000, running in 35 races in that final season.

Finch returned to Winston Cup racing in 2001, competing largely on a part-time basis for the next decade while continuing to squeeze in occasional Busch/Nationwide races. Phoenix Racing ramped up its Sprint Cup efforts in 2011 and has competed in all 36 races each of the past two years.

"I started with all my friends, and now I'm racing with a lot of their sons," Finch said. "Austin Dillon, he's a little kid who drove for me (twice this season). I remember when he was born."

Finch said he will help his 18 employees find work with other racing teams if they want to remain in the sport.

"I'll try and get some friends to hire some of them," he said. "I definitely want to take care of them."

Finch may know his days as a Sprint Cup team owner are numbered, but he's no less competitive now than he was decades ago when he raced dragsters, stock cars and motorcycles. He quipped that Smith could have been more aggressive at the end of Sunday's race.

"Regan hooked up with Jimmie Johnson, and he wanted to stay with Jimmie," Finch said of a late restart. "Jimmie's a five-time champion. He makes millions of dollars per year. But I think Regan should have hung him out to dry and jumped in the middle.

"Regan's with the Hendrick organization (like Johnson) and drives their Nationwide car. He was trying to help Jimmie as much as he could. But sooner or later you have to say, ‘Hey, bye. This happens to be the end, my friend.' "

<p>LYNN HAVEN, Fla. — Unable to find a long-term sponsor for his Sprint Cup team, James Finch is eyeballing an exit from racing all together.</p><p>"I'm contemplating finishing up this year, and I don't know if I want a sponsor," Finch, owner of Spartanburg, S.C.-based Phoenix Racing, said Monday. "Sunday was my 776th start in NASCAR between the Nationwide and Sprint Cup. That's a lot of weekends. I'm considering pulling the plug later in the summer."</p><p>Finch, 62, said Phoenix Racing will not enter any races after the Brickyard 400 scheduled for July 28 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He said he intends to wrap up team operations before the Chase for the Cup begins in September.</p><p>"I have not been able to get the right amount of funding, the economy is pretty bad, and a lot of people don't want to do it," Finch said of his team's fruitless search for a permanent sponsor. "I'm getting kind of burned out. I think it is time for me to do something else."</p><p>Finch's decision comes in the midst of one of his most successful seasons as an owner. Finch is tied for 13th in NASCAR's owner points standings with 276 points, just a handful of points outside the Top 10. Phoenix Racing enjoyed a fourth-place finish with Kurt Busch behind the wheel for the Nationwide race at Talladega this past weekend, and Regan Smith steered the team's No. 51 car to a sixth-place finish in Sunday's Aaron's 499.</p><p>The team's success, which includes a pair of top-10 finishes and five top-15 results, did not appear to help it find a full-time sponsor, however. The team has found sponsors for individual or small blocks of races, but the lack of a permanent sponsor has forced Finch to cover his team's considerable costs on his own.</p><p>That business model simply is not sustainable against deep-pocketed teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and others.</p><p>"I don't want to lose everything I've got trying to outrun people," Finch said. "I can't do that. It's time to do something else and go from there. I've still got some cars I haven't torn up. And I don't want to build any new ones."</p><p>Finch's immersion into NASCAR as an owner began with one race in the Busch Grand National Series in 1989. His team competed in four Winston Cup and four Busch Grand National races in 1990. Phoenix Racing focused solely on Busch races from 1997 to 2000, running in 35 races in that final season.</p><p>Finch returned to Winston Cup racing in 2001, competing largely on a part-time basis for the next decade while continuing to squeeze in occasional Busch/Nationwide races. Phoenix Racing ramped up its Sprint Cup efforts in 2011 and has competed in all 36 races each of the past two years.</p><p>"I started with all my friends, and now I'm racing with a lot of their sons," Finch said. "Austin Dillon, he's a little kid who drove for me (twice this season). I remember when he was born."</p><p>Finch said he will help his 18 employees find work with other racing teams if they want to remain in the sport.</p><p>"I'll try and get some friends to hire some of them," he said. "I definitely want to take care of them."</p><p>Finch may know his days as a Sprint Cup team owner are numbered, but he's no less competitive now than he was decades ago when he raced dragsters, stock cars and motorcycles. He quipped that Smith could have been more aggressive at the end of Sunday's race.</p><p>"Regan hooked up with Jimmie Johnson, and he wanted to stay with Jimmie," Finch said of a late restart. "Jimmie's a five-time champion. He makes millions of dollars per year. But I think Regan should have hung him out to dry and jumped in the middle.</p><p>"Regan's with the Hendrick organization (like Johnson) and drives their Nationwide car. He was trying to help Jimmie as much as he could. But sooner or later you have to say, 'Hey, bye. This happens to be the end, my friend.' "</p>